leslie



4Sheets-Sheet 1. A, M. LESLIE. Rotary Shuttle Sewin No. 241,553.

g Machine. Patented May 17, I881.

N. PETERS. Phmo'ullwgnpher. Walhlnglun. D- C- 4 Sheets- Sheet 2.

A. M. LESLIE. Rotary Shuttle Sewing Machine. No. 241,553. Patented May17, I881.

jFuzelcZ WM- ofiabg,

N. PETERS. PhoQo-Ulhugrzphcr, Walhinglnn, D. C.

A. M. LESLIE. 4Sheets-Sheet 3. Rotary Shuttle Sewin No. 241,553.

g Machine. PatentedMay 17,188l.

"mum Imulmmmiim MR N. PETERS. Pbolo-lilhcgnpher, Walhingiou, D. C.

INITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4,

ROTARY-SHUTTLE SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..241,553, dated May 17,1881. Application filed Janua'ry'iZE, 1880. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHURM. LEsLtE, of

, Ghicago,1llinois, have invented a new and useful Rotary-ShuttleSewing-Machine;of which the following is a specification.

body the rotalyshnttle principle in a sewingmachine possessing thestandard qualities of noiselessness, light running, and perfection ofstitch in a superior degree, with convenience of manipulation,uniformity of action, andsimplicity of construction. s:

Said invention consists more particularly,

first, in means for, releasing and throwing out.

the bobbin of a rotary shuttle without disturbing the shuttle or itsrace; secondly, in means for releasing the bobbin ot' a rotary shuttleby the pressure of the finger; thirdly,

inmeansfor thus releasing said bobbin and at. the same time ejecting it,without subjecting the'bobbin to constant pressure; and, fourth] y, inimproved means to prevent twisting the thread of a rotary shuttle andfor giving the same the requisite tension and regulating the latterindependently of the bobbin and bobbinretaining devices.

. power and for releasing the needle-loops by I combination ot'a centralbobbin, thepart's her. in gso timed that the bobbin iscarried throughSaid invention consists, fifthly,in meansto facilitate the release ofthe needle-loopsjliy a rotary shuttle driven at high speeds"; and;

"beneath the cloth-plate and mechanism connecting said shafts,the undershaft turning alternately fast and slow for driving the shuttle at highspeeds with superior economy of periodically opening a space between theheel of the shuttle and itsdriver.

It consists, eighthly, in the addition to said the needle'loopsat thegreatest speed of said under shaft, the needle-loopsbein g thus formed aand released quickly enough without multiply- I ing the motion of theunder Sllflfii,ll0lZWltllmanded by a central bobbin.

Said invention consists, ninthly, in the addition tothe combination lastnamed ofanindependent positive motion take-up and means for actuatingthe same, these parts serving to let down ample thread for theneedle-loops duriu g the fast motion of the under shaft and to take uptheslack after the loops are released by the shuttle.

It consists, tenthly, in a peculiar combination and arrangement ofparts, whereby the take-up lever, is adapted to draw the upper andsaidthread is relieved from unnecessary friction and strain between theupper tension device and the needle.

It consists, eleventhly, in means to facilitate assemblingsaid rotaryshaft mechanism.

Said invention consists, twelfthly, in a peculiar combination andarrangement of parts, whereby certain feed mechanism is located incompact form immediately at and behind the feed-dog on the bottom of thecloth-plate and regulated from the customary point in front of thestandard; and, lastly, in simple and effective means for adjustin g thefeed-dog vertically, to regulate the projection of its teeth, ashereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is gan end elevation of my saidrotary-shuttle sewing-machine, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionthrough the rotary shuttle and its race and driver on theline 2 2,Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an elevation of the machine-head from the backthereof,showing more particularly the take-up, with the guides and tension forthe upper thread, thehead being shown as ifbroken from the arm, with theupper shaft in cross-section. Fig. 1 is an end view of the under shaft,showing the shuttle-driver disk. Fig. l is a likeview, showing theshuttle-driver with the latter partly in section; and Fig. 2is an edgeview of the shuttle-driver and its disk. Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe bobbin-case and bobbin separated, and Fig. 2 is an axial section. ofthe bobbin-case with the bobbin in it. Fig. l is a face view of .theshuttle with the bobbincase and bobbin removed. Fig. 2 is a section ofthe same on the line correspondingly numstanding the relatively-largesize of loop dethread from the needle in a nearly-direct line,

bered, and Fig. 3 is a back view thereof. Fig. 2 is a top view of thepresser-foot detached. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of themachine, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the standard of thesame on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, showing more particularly the combinationof rotary shafts. bottom view of the machine, partially in section; andFig. 7 is a partial vertical section on the line 7 7, Fig. 6, showingmore particularly the feed mechanism. The figures numbered 1 to 3,inclusive, and Figs. 1, 1 2, 2 Sheets 1 and 2, are drawn to one scale;Figs. 1 2, 1 2, and 3 to a larger scale, and the other figures, Sheets 3and 4, to another and smaller scale.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

A hollow rigid arm, A, unites the cloth-plate O and head H of thismachine, and these three parts support the operative mechanism.

A reciprocating needle-bar, B, works vertically in guides formed withinthe head H, and carries at its lower end a short straight needle, N, towhich an upper thread, 1, is fed from a commercial spool, .9.

Immediately in front of the plane of the needle a segmental rotaryshuttle, S, works in a vertical transverse plane within a shuttlerace,R, which is formed by a braced and recessed projection cast on thebottom of the- :and latch l are placed within said slot and recesses.Said lever l works on a pivot parallel to the face of the shuttle, asshown in Figs. 1

and 2, and operates the latch Z by means of a shoulder, k, Fig. 3, whichengages the ex; tremity of one leg of said latch, the latter being of Lform, with one leg dovetailed and adapted to slide in said radial recessand to engage with said shoulder of the lever, and

the other adapted to work within said recess of the hub and to engagewith the face of the bobbin-case W, at the outer extremity of said hub,as illustrated by Figs. 1, l and 2. The

latch, through said lever as apart thereof, is'

behind the outer leg of the latch '1 within the hub h, by a little screwintroduced longitudinally of the latter, as shown in Fig. 2 Whenreleased the bobbin and bobbin case are thrown out or protruded by anejector, 0, so as to be readily taken from the shuttle through Fig. 6 isa' said opening of the race-cap. This ejector is combined with the leverl in the form of a spring-finger projecting from the heel of saidleverinto said radial recess behind the bobbinchamber 0 beingaccommodated by cutting away one side of said slidin leg of the latch Zas shown in Figs. l and The bobbin-case 12?, Fig. 1, has a centralsleeve, 8", fitted to the shuttle-hub h, and the bobbin 1) rotates uponsaid sleeve free from contact with any part of the shuttle. When thebobbin and bobbin -case are in place, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thelatter is rendered non-rotary by the under thread, 2, which is alwaystaut between the upper edge of said bobbin-case and the cloth, owing tothe location of a tension-spring, 15 on the face of said case at saidedge, from which the under thread,

2, is drawn by the feed as required. The under thread is carried fromthe bobbin 1) first radially, through a notch, 7L2, Fig. 1, in tne caseI); thence horizontally out of the bobbin-chamber, within a groove, g,in the periphery of said case; thence through a notch, h, in saidtension-spring t and preferably once around said spring, and thence tothe cloth. The pressure of the spring t is regulated by a little screw,r, working in a tapped support, 8 which is at tached outside of thespring. The under tension may, consequently, be readily regulatedwithout unthreading it, while the threading operation, when a fullbobbin is inserted, is rendered very simple. The tension is, moreover,wholly upon the thread, andconsrquently the same, whether the bobbin befull or-empty.

To reduce the unequal efi'ect of centrifugal force upon the segmentalshuttle S, its thicker side is cut away or slotted, as shown at z, andthis, I have discovered, can be carried to the extent indicated withoutdestroying the de sirable tendency of the shuttle to separate from itsdriver D by centrifugal force, so that the needle-loops may passbetween. Heretofore the tendency of the rotary shuttle to fly outwardhasbeen so great at high speeds as to seriously increase the friction oftheshuttle within the race, and thus to occasion excessive pressure ofthe driver 1) against the heel y of the shuttle. To further utilize theremaining outward tendency of the shuttle S, its circumferent-ial flangef is rounded; or it may be beveled on itsouter face, its back beingflat, and the guide groove 9 formed by'the cap 0, is made to correspond,so that said outward tendency shall press the point x of the shuttleupward and toward the needle. I thus insure catching the needle-loopsafter the parts are worn and when running at the highest speed. Theshuttle is located as highas is practicable for economy of motion, andthe shuttle-race and its cap are made open at top to admit the needleand to provide for the passage of the threads, and all the parts of thismechanism are made snug and. smooth, so as not to catch or. out eitherthread.

. The shuttle S is rotated by means of a driver, D,the effective portionof whichis a segment- IIO ' a1 projection behind the heel y of theshuttle within its race, as shown in Fig. 1, this driver being carriedby a circular disk, D which pin, p, which is fitted to an axial socket,to, in the shaft. (See Figs. 131 2 A screw, s

passes through the body of the driver into one of a series of tappedholes, h, in the driverand 4 disk D the series rendering the driver adjustable at will relatively to the feed cam c,

which is, by preference,cast with said disk, as shown. The driverisslotted or bifurcated, as shown in Figs 1 2, to permit the needle todescend in advance of the passage of the driver and to protecttheneedleloop, .90 being the heel of the driver, which is followed bythe point a: of the shuttle.

The needle-bar B is driven by a crank-disk, D, on a rotary shaft, S,said disk having a friction-roller wrist, which works in a groovedcross-head, H, with which said bar is provided within the head H, asshown in Figs. 3 Said shaft S extends horizontally through thehorizontal portion of the arm A,

i being supported by bearings at the respective extremities thereof. Oneend carries the ricedle-driver, as aforesaid. The other end pro 1 trudesand is furnished with a double pulley,

P, of two diameters, and a hand-wheel, W, to

'the hub of which said pulley is united, when turned forward, by meansof a friction-clutch, 0 The wheel is fastened on the shaft by means of ascrew, 5 The pulley is driven by a band from a driving-pulley, and byits other groove transmits independent motion by a band toabobbiu-winder or other attachment, when driven backward, withoutdriving the shaft S. When said pulley is driven forward,

as aforesaid, an even motion is imparted to the shaft S, andtherethrough to the needle-bar in the most direct manner, andconsequently with the least loss of power. Said shaft S has a crank, 0,within the arm A, in line with the center of the upright portion orstandard of said arm, and the wrist of said crank is embraced by thejournal-head of a lever-pitman, L, the slot of which embraces a rockingful cruiir,' F/, which is supported within the standard byan axialscrew, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thelower end of the pitman L isconnected by a pivot-screw to a short link, L which, in turn, isconnected bya pivot-screw to a crankdisk, D on the adjacent end of theshaft S the other end of which carries the shuttledriver, as aforesaid.This shaft S is supported parallel to the shaft S by hanger-bearings b b,cast on the bottom of the cloth-plate O, and rotates freely therein,but in a direction the reverse of that of said shaft S, as illustratedby arrows in Figs. 1 and 5, and with an uneven motion, which is theobject of said leverconnection.

By inspecting Figs. l and 5 it will be seen that in the position of theparts shown in these Figs. 3 and 4.)

and all the other views of the machine, when the shuttle S is ready torelease the needleloop, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower shaft is ap'proaching its point of slowest motion, which is reached when the crank Ois on its upper center, the power end of the lever being then longestand the motion of the other end cor responding] y reduced. An importantadvantage is thus gained in the operation of the shuttle, which, beingloose, does not immediately partake of the change of speed, butv by itsmomentum speeds ahead of the shaft-controlled driver, and thus permitsthe needleloop to escape freely between. Another .advantage of thefast-and-slow motion is the accommodation ofa central bobbin ofamplesize, the shuttle containing such bobbin being carried through theneedle-loop at the faster speed of the shaft, and consequently within arelatively short time.

A rotary upper shaft, to receive the even motion of the motor, isessential to said employment of a fast-and-slow under shaft, as will beobserved, and by the employment of such upper shaft 1 am also enabled toemploy .a positive and independent take-up lever, T, which lets downample slack for the shuttle, and is adapted to give down and take upthread while the needle is stopping and starting, or, in fact, mayreceive any required movement. (See Said take-up lever T projectsthrough a slot in one edge of the head H, being pivoted parallel to theshaft S and behind it, and is operated by acam-groove, c of therequiredshape, which is formed at the back of the disk D, and is traversed by astud-pin on the lever. Ihave shaped and timed the said cams so as to letdown thread'as soon as the needle enters the goods, and until thegreatest diameter of the shuttle is through the needleloop, and to takeup rapidly in conjunction with .the feed during the slow motion oftheunder shaft and the descent of the needle to the cloth.

'lhe spool s is mounted on a spindle, on the top of the arm, and theupper thread, 1, is

guide, 9, on the back of the head H, behind the arm A; thence to arotary disk-tension device, t, beneath the arm on the back of the.

head H thence to the eye of the take -up lever T, and thence through aguide, g at the bottom of the head, and a threading-hole, h, at thebottom of the needle-bar B, directly into the groove and eye of theneedle. The take-up is thus adapted to pull directly upward on thethread without drawing it over so many friction-points, as in formermachines, while the arrangement of parts is neat and convenient.

To facilitate assembling the parts of thelrotary-shaft mechanism withinthe arm A, as aforesaid, the hearing at the right-hand end of the shaftA is made a part of a plate, I), which is attached bymeans of screwsafter said parts are in place. Said bearing-plate and the faceplate ofthe head B being off, thenaked crank- II S shaftisintroduced end wiseand pushed through to receive the crank-disk D, which is held in placethereon by the ordinary radial set-screw and an axial wedge-screw, asshown in Fig. 4, with its wrist ninety degrees behind that of the crank0. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) The shaft is then drawn back into position. Theleverpitman L, introduced endwise through the standard, is attached bymeans of a screwdriver inserted through an orifice, 0, Fig. 5, in theback of the arm, the shaft being turned to bring the screws successivelyopposite said orifice. The bearing-plate b is then secured in place andis followed by the pulley P and wheel W.

An improved four-motion feed mechanism is formed, as shown in Figs. 6and 7, by means of a simple lifting-and-lowering cam, 0, combined withthe shuttle-driver disk D as aforesaid, a single-acting stroke cam, 0fastened on the shaft 8*, immediately behind its adjacent bearing, W, a'pair of yokes, y 1 embracing said cams, alever-link,l, connecting saidyokes, a horizontal guide-pin, 19, supporting the slotted outer end ofsaid yoke 3 a spring, 8, arranged within a recess in said yoke y andpressing against said pin 19 to supplement the action of said cam 0 anda fulcrum,f, projecting in front of the lever-link I.

To accommodate and support the feed m echanism, the cloth-plate O isprovided with a pair of depending lugs. l 1 at its rear edge, and alongitudinal slot, 8 in front of the arm'standard. The former aredrilled to receive the pin 1) and a parallel slide, s from which thefulcrum f projects in the form of a hook. Said slide 8 projects from theend of a flat rod, r,

which extends diagonally across to the slot 8 where it terminatesin anut end, and a thumbscrew, 8 passing through said slot, clamps said nutend against a planed boss, through which said slot is formed. The milledhead of said screw 8 corresponds in position and movement with otherstitch-regulators; but with the present mechanism it operates to fastenthe fulcrum f at different points, and thereby to vary the throw of thefeed-dog cl, which is carried by the yoke y, without changing theduration of the respective feed-motions, the full stroke of the cam 0being used at all times. The advantage of this peculiarity is uniformityof relation between the feed and take-up under all circumstances and aconsequent superior uniformity in the perfection of long and shortstitches. The feed mechanism is, moreover, of superiorsimplicity,compactness, and positiveness. The feed-dog d projects overthe shuttle S and works through a suitable opening in a thin plate,which completes the cloth-plate surface at this point, the dog extendingon botlisides of the needle-hole, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to equalizethe strain on the cloth. To regulate the prominence ofthe feed-dog, itsserrated upper part or the dog proper is held between vertical lugs onthe top of the yoke y by a vertical screw, s and ahorizontal slottedwedge,-

throwing out the bobbin without exposes said bobbin-chamber and,stantially as herein described.

the shoe to be adjusted with reference to the needle more readily thanother forms. The foot may be otherwise of any preferred make, but ispreferably stamped out of soft plate steel and hardened in the formshown. The lifter L is of a common form, attached by a pivot-screw tothe face of the head H; and P represents an axial screw adj ustingacoiled presser-spring within the head in a common way.

The abo e description will enable those skilled in the art to make anduse my said machine and its several parts.

Details which are not particularly described are clearly shown in thedrawings or may be of a well-known description.

I do not herein claim the combination, in a sewing-machine, of a rotaryshuttle having an open bobbin-chain berin its outer face and acircumferential guide'flange or projection, a cir cula-r shuttle-racegrooved to receive said flange,

a cap-plate attached by screws and having a concentric openingto exposesaid bobbin-chamber, a bobbin removable at will through said opening,and a combined feed-cam and shuttle-driver located parallel to saidshuttle-race, and having a projection extending into the latter behindthe heel of said shuttle; nor the combination, in a sewing-machine, ot'a rotary shuttle having an open bobbin-chamber in its outer face and acircumferential guide flange or projection, a circular shuttle-racegrooved to receive said flange, a cap-plate attached'by screws andhaving a concentric opening to expose said bobbin-chamber, a bobbinremovable at will through said opening, and a combined feed-cam andshuttle-driver located parallel to said shuttle-race, and having aprojection ex tending in to the latter behind the heel of said shuttle,said projection being constructed with a deep peripheral notch or grooveforming a detached horn at the rear end of saidprojection, thesefeatures being claimed by me in an application for patent filed December31, 1877.

What I now claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States, 1s-

1. A rotary shuttle having an open bobbinchamber in its outer face andprovided, with an attached latch and ejector for releasing anddisturbing the shuttle, in combination with a shuttle-race having anannular cap, the opening of which latch, sub- 2. A rotary shuttle havingan open bobbin- ,chamber in its. outer face and a recessed hub Withinsaid chamber, and provided with a finger-lever projecting through anopening in said face and a slidin g latch projecting through said hub,as herein specified.

3. A rotary shuttle having an open bobbinchamber in its outer face andprovided with a finger-lever projecting through an opening in said faceand terminating in an ejector-finger at the back of said chamber, asherein specified.

4. A rotary shuttle having an open bobbinchamber in its outer'face, acentral hub within said chamber and a central latch, and provided withan annular bobbin-case, an annular bobbin within said bobbin-case, andan adj ustable tension device on the exposed annular face of saidbobbin-case, as herein specified.

5. A segmental rotary shuttle constructed with an axial'bobbin-chamberand a peripheral guide-flange, and having its wider intermediate portionmade light, substantially as herein described,in combination with aconcentric shuttle-race and its cap and a rotary shaft carrying ashuttle-driver which projects hehind the heel of said shuttle,asspecified.

6. The combination of the rotary shuttledriver D with itsfastening-screw s, and the shuttle-driver disk D, having a concentricseries of screw-holes, h, for adjusting said driver, substantially asherein specified.

7. The combination, in a sewing-machine, substantially as hereindescribed, of a circular shuttle-race, a segmental disk-shuttle rotatingfreely within said race, an under shaft carrying a rotary-shuttle driverwhich nearly fills the space within said race behind the heel of theshuttle, an upper shaft provided with the driving-pulley, and mechanismfor transmitting'an alternately fast and slow motion to said under shaftfrom said upper shaft, the moving parts being arranged and timed, asspecified, for periodically opening a limited space behind the heel ofthe shuttle to release the needle-loops, in themanner set forth.

8. The combination, in a sewing-machine, substantially as hereindescribed, of a circular shuttlarace, a segmental disk-shuttle having acentral bobbinand rotating freely within said race, an under shaftcarrying a rotaryshuttle driver which nearly fills the space within saidrace behind the heel of the shuttle, an upper shaft provided with thedriving-pulley and with a'needle-driver, mechanism for transmitting analternately fast and slow motion to said under shaft from said uppershaft, and a reciprocating needle-bar carrying the needle, the movingpartsbeing arranged and timed, as specified, for the purposes set forth.

'9. The combination, in a sewing-machine, substantially as hereindescribed, of a circular shuttle-race, a segmental disk-shuttle having acentral bobbin and rotating freely within said race, an under shaftcarrying a rotaryshuttle driver, which nearly fills the space withinsaid race behind the heel of the shuttle, an upper shaft provided withthe driving-pulhay and with a needle-driver and take-up-cam mechanismfor transmitting an alternately fast and slow motion to said under shaftfrom said upper shaft, a reciprocating needle-bar carrying the needle,and a take-up lever actuated by said cam, the several parts being arranged and.

timed, as specified, for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination, with the head H and.

the take-up lever'T, projecting at one edge of said head, of mechanismwithin said head for operating said lever and the thread-guides g andtension device t, attached to the back of said head, and threaded, asherein specified, said tension device being arranged immediately abovethe lower thread-guide, and. said take-up lever taking its bight ofthread from between said tension device and lower threadguide, as shown,for the purposes set forth.

11. The combination, with the hollow arm A and a crank-shaft within thehorizontal portion of said arm, of the bearing-plate b, forming a partof the standard and constituting one of the bearings of said shaft, andscrews attaching said bearing-plate, as herein specified, for thepurpose set forth.

12. In combination, the cloth-plate O, havin g a longitudinal slot, 8 infront of the standard, and parallel depending lugs l i behind thefeed-slot, the thumb-screw 8 diagonal rod r, slide s fulcrum f,lever-link l, yokes 3 3 and cam 0 as herein specified, for the purposeset forth.

13. In combination, the adjustable feed-dog d, the slotted horizontalwedge w, the vertical screw 8", and the yoke 3 adapted to receive andcarry said feed-dog and adjusting devices, substantially as hereinspecified.

ARTHUR M. LESLIE.

Witnesses:

' W. B. LE STAGE, B. A. Nnwsus.

